Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I welcome Mr. Maurice Crowley from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland; Mr. Ken Burke, Dr. Anne Finnegan and Mr. Tadhg Buckley from AIB; Mr. Mark Cunningham and Mr. Sean Farrell from Bank of Ireland; and Dr. Ailish Byrne and Mr. Nigel Walsh from Ulster Bank. I express the joint committee's appreciation to them for coming before us to discuss the potential difficulties and price volatility facing the dairy industry in the next 12 months and beyond.

Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.